Steel notes add to Grohl Alley

May 19, 2014

WARREN - David Grohl Alley has a new sculpture that puts art and music on a grander scale.

Eleven steel music notes and a G clef, ranging in weight from 61 to 126 pounds, were welded onto the guardrail alongside the alleyway Sunday morning.

The alley full of painted murals, sculpture and other art is a tribute to musician and Warren native Dave Grohl, the frontman of the Foo Fighters and former drummer for Nirvana.

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Tribune Chronicle / Allie Vugrincic Lou Chine of Austintown, Warren artist and welder Aaron Chine, Tim Drummond and Joe O’Grady install the notes on the guardrail between the alley and the Burger King parking lot.

The sculpture was a collaboration between a variety of companies and communities. Volunteers and businesses from Youngstown, Warren, Canfield, Austintown and Lowellville donated time and supplies for the project. Ken Greco Inc. of Boardman and H.R. Evans Steel Mechanical of East Palestine supplied and cut the music notes for the massive sculpture.

"Other communities are helping Warren," said Joe O'Grady, the driving force behind the creation of David Grohl Alley. "It's phenomenal."

The sculpture was designed to separate David Grohl Alley from the adjoining Burger King parking lot.

"We wanted to give the alley its own identity," said Adam Gardner, a pioneer of the music notes project.

Despite the designer's original plans, the notes don't make a recognizable song. The steel music notes are more than twice the size first intended, making it difficult to create readable music in the limited space. It does, however, create an impacting sight.

"It's a big statement. You can see it coming down the road from either side," Gardner said.

The notes will be painted to prevent rust and add to the artistic allure of the alley.

The alley will host Fuzz Fest on May 31, featuring food, vendors and music by Wretch, Glitter Pig, Deadiron, Anchor the Moon, The 141s, Two Days Until Tomorrow, Bunderthird and Houston, We're Going Down.